Ice Cream
by CunningMascara
Summary: Maybe, just maybe, he could be normal.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own only what you don't recognize.**

**A/N: I'm not sure if this is a one-shot or the beginning to a story. Reviews are helpful. I need to decide! So far, laziness has taken over and I'm leaning toward one-shotness. Put in your vote!**

LLLLL

Waking up in a sweat, Alex Rider swore in every language he knew. Which, consequently, woke up the grouchy lady living below him.

"Young man! There is no need for you to swear in however many made-up little languages you speak! And at three in the morning no less! There are CHILDREN that live around you! CHILDREN aren't supposed to KNOW those words!"

And she went on. And on. And on.

Finally, the elderly lady stopped her ranting.

"I'll keep that in mind, Mrs. Gritowsky."

Checking his cell phone, Alex realized that exactly three hours, 11 minutes, and 22 seconds ago the date changed from March 30 to March 31.

March 31 wasn't exactly his favorite day of the year. In fact, he'd go so far as to say that it was his least. Seven years ago today, he would have seen things most full grown men wouldn't see in their lifetime.

But that was in the past. That part of his life was over. Nothing like that would happen to him again. Hopefully.

Sighing, Alex closed his eyes, knowing he wouldn't get any sleep.

At 5:30 a.m., Alex's alarm clock sounded.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Letting it continue it's chorus of _beeps_, he got up and took a shower. Letting the hot water cascade down his body, Alex thought about how other people saw him.

_Alex Rider, age 21._

_Scars and bruises all over his body._

_Works from home._

_Six ex-girlfriends._

_Wallowing over something that's already happened…curious as to what._

Abruptly stopping the water, Alex started to breathe heavily.

No. He wasn't wallowing. He was…he didn't know what he was doing. But it definitely wasn't wallowing.

Just to prove it, Alex decided he'd go out today. He'd go to the cinemas and see a movie. Didn't matter which one. After the movies, maybe he'd go get some ice cream.

He hadn't had ice cream in a long time. It was a delicious treat. An absolute enigma why he hadn't had it in so long. A good vanilla ice cream with hot fudge topping and sprinkles used to be his favorite.

He'd definitely get some ice cream.

He'd be normal.

Alex smiled at the thought. Normal wasn't usually a word used to describe Alex Rider. Exciting, maybe. Dangerous, definitely. But not normal.

Maybe, just maybe, Alex Rider could be normal for once in his life.

Maybe.

LLLLL

**What do you think? Keep it like it is or continue? Review….**


	2. Chapter 2

You might not call this a chapter, more of a preface within a story, but it's something. You guys like something, correct?

**If I do continue this story, then it will be very short. I'm not telling you how I'm going, but to give you the jist, it's just going to be like a less-dramatic 24. As in, I'm going to describe in detail the events of his afternoon. **

**That was a bit much. But anyhow, review!**

**Disclaimer: I own only what you don't recognize.**

LLLL

_Alex stumbled through the door. Blood was seeping out of a cut on his arm. _

_Jack, her eyes full of concern, asked, "What happened?" Alex shook his head and headed up the stairs._

_Once up, Alex recalled what had just happened._

_He was taking his driver's test, the one where you actually drive on the road. _

_The car was a horrible yellow with an embarrassing 'Student Driver' sign atop the car. Brooklands had even gone so far as to put a bumper sticker—Student Driver, you were one once! They drive you did once, forgive them or be a hypocrite! —That was not funny at all._

_Thoroughly embarrassing._

_Alex's teacher wasn't paying any mind to as how Alex was driving. He'd already given Alex full marks._

_Everyone knew that Alex had already been tested for his license. That was why he drove to school every day. _

_They hoped._

_As Alex was directed to go onto the freeway, Alex noticed something normal. Extremely normal. _

_Alex told himself to stay out of it. As usual, he ignored that side of himself._

_Alex noted that the vehicle five cars behind him had been carefully following him since he left school. Noticing that his driving instructor had found it an appropriate moment to nod off, Alex started to switch lanes and take an exit._

_Stopping at a drive-through McDonalds, he bought a chocolate milkshake._

_Waiting for him in the parking lot was the car. It was a black Lexus LS four-door sedan. Completely and utterly normal. _

_But the windows were tinted black._

_Alex smiled grimly and asked if he could also order a large fry. _

_Glancing back at his teacher, Alex exited the yellow car, closing the door as silently as humanly possible so Mr. Whats-his-face wouldn't be disturbed._

_Fries in hand, Alex made his way over to the other car and tapped at the window. It rolled down, revealing a man with brown hair and freckles. Dark sunglasses concealed his eye color._

_Thrusting the fries into the vehicle, Alex was unsurprised that several pairs of hands reached out to frantically grab them._

"_Where are you from?" Alex asked quietly._

_Responding just as quietly, the man behind the glasses said, "Don't you recognize me, Cub?"_

_And then Alex punched him. This man could not be from the SAS._

_The man behind the glasses (Alex decided to rechristen him Sunglasses) twisted his face into a sneer. "You'll pay for that. Punk face kid."_

_Suddenly, Alex felt a pain in his left arm. Sunglasses now held a bloody knife._

"_You owe me for the fries," Alex muttered. Then he took off in a sprint toward the most embarrassing car he'd seen in his life._

_Once inside, Alex woke the teacher and asked him where to go next. Just as Alex had hoped, the frazzled teacher commanded him to go back to school._

_After a boring twenty-minute ride, the pair was back, and it was time for another student to get inside the student driver car and take the test. _

_Stepping out of the car, Alex noticed something peculiar. A Stryker and Son van was unmoving in the parking lot. _

_An irritated look reached Alex's face. "Sorry guys. No more fries." _

_He took his keys out of his jean pocket, looked back at the Stryker and Sone van, and threw them down the sewer. _

_Then he began walking. _

_If he kept walking, maybe his uncle would come back. Maybe he wouldn't know every secret thing wrong with the world. Maybe there wouldn't at least five criminal organizations after his blood. Maybe he would never have met Mr. Blunt or Mrs. Jones. _

_If Alex Rider kept walking home, maybe he'd be normal._

_He was utterly disappointed._

LLLLL

What do ya think? Reviews make the world go round, but more importantly, they make ME smile. Just kidding. The most important thing they do is make the microwave go ding.


	3. Chapter 3

It's me again! Back in black, if you would. Anyhow, I'm about to get an AWESOME beta named Emmy-loo. Check out her stories!

**A note about last chapter: it was meant to be confusing. It was supposed to leave you thinking. Another note about the short chapters: I once read a great story. It was a fan fiction story, right here in our very own AR section. Her words gave me an excuse: I'm lazy. There's no helping it. Sorry folks. If you want something long, read Amitai's works. Those are of amazing quality and are much better than mine.**

Disclaimer: I own only what you don't recognize.

LLLLL

On the street, in a jacket, jeans, and white sneakers, wearing an irritated look on his face with a map in hand, Alex Rider could have easily been a tourist.

In fact, he was far from it.

His jacket covered his scars, as did his jeans. His white trainers were the only shoes in his closet that matched. The map was of all the cinemas in London.

So far, Alex had found exactly zero movies that appealed to him. All of them were spy movies, romantic sobs, or horror.

Um, no.

As Alex tripped over a piece chipped sidewalk, he started swearing profusely.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a very heavy lady's purse came into contact with his head.

"Alex RIDER! There are more children out here in PUBLIC than in the building! CHILDREN _aren't_ supposed to KNOW those kinds of words, but YOU'RE throwing them out into the open air!"

Alex considered doing a very rude finger gesture, but decided against the idea. Mrs. Gritowsky would never stop if he did that.

"Are you listening? You do not CURSE when there are children near? You hear that? You do not—"

"No worries, Mrs. Gritowsky." Alex said, cutting her off. Before she could reply, Alex had pushed through eight people, two dogs, and five squirrels. Looking to his left, Alex saw a theatre with a few people around his age buying tickets. College kids.

Crossing the street, Alex spied that they were buying tickets to the latest spy movie. Sighing, he decided to watch that movie too. There was a slight chance he might meet people his own age.

Mrs. Gritowsky wasn't the best conversationalist.

If anything, he might get a few laughs. These screenwriters came up with some wacky stuff.

Alex purchased his ticket from an unsmiling teen with too much eyeliner. He couldn't tell whether it was a boy or girl. As Alex wasn't hungry (and he felt no need to but $20 popcorn), he headed straight into the theatre.

Apparently the movie hadn't been a big success.

The theatre had the college kids and two eighth-graders sucking each other's faces off.

Taking the steps two at a time, Alex took the seat directly in the center. After watching eight action film previews, the movie started.

The theatre was completely silent for a few moments before a motorcycle burst through a window of glass, the glass then forming the movie title.

'_Operation: Sting Ray_'

Alex didn't bother stifling a laugh. The college students seated a couple rows in front of him looked back as if to tell him to shut up. They quickly looked back when the sound effects started to kick in.

There was a pretty brunette that caught his eye. She didn't look back.

A few minutes later, Alex was laughing his head off. In slow motion, bullets were narrowly missing the protagonist's shoulders.

This time only the brunette turned back. Alex's eyes widened.

It was Sabina Pleasure.

LLLLL

If you want a longer wait for an update, then review. But, you must know, if you vote for this option, updates will come spontaneously and once every three weeks. And folks, I get sick VERY easily. Most chapters are written during this time. If this chapter was a tad too, erm, no-ish, tell me. I'll get sick.

**Review! **


	4. Chapter 4

**I am extremely lazy. There is nothing else to it. That is why my chapters do not have extreme detail. However, the finale will be the longest of all the chapters. And extremely detailed. So, stick with me, okay? Another note: Holy crap. I posted the chapter for my Clique story on here! Oh god. So sorry! Different note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and put this story on alert! It means the world to little old lazy me.**

**Special thanks to Emmy-loo, my beta. And, um, sorry.**

**Disclaimer: I own only what you don't recognize.**

LLLLL

_"Alex, you've been accepted to my school. You promised!"_

_Alex Rider was at a crossroad. Age 18, he had been accepted into almost every  
college he had applied to. Including Sabina's._

_Alex had promised Sabina he'd go to her school if he were accepted. Now he  
regretted making that promise._

_"Look, Sab. I'm not sure I want to go to your school."_

_On the other line, Sabina made an angry noise.  
_

_Quickly, Alex said, "Actually, I'm not sure I want to go to school at  
all."_

_Sabina gasped. Alex was suddenly glad he didn't have to do this in person. When Sabina was angry, she could be scarier than his Civics teacher when someone didn't do their homework. And that was pretty damn scary._

_Taking a deep breath, he continued. "I've been offered this really great  
job as an interpreter. The office is in your town, so we  
wouldn't have to do long distance anymore."_

_Unknown to Alex, Sabina was shaking her head._

_"No Alex." She said. "I can't do that. When we first started dating,  
you told me you wouldn't break any more promises. I think we need to take a break."_

_"From the phone conversation?"_

_"No Alex. From our relationship."_

_There were a few moments of silence. Then—_

_"Sab, I haven't ever had good experiences with breaks. You know that."  
Alex imagined her biting her lip._

_"Then maybe we should just end it completely."_

_Alex hung up._

LLLLL

**So sorry about the shortness. I'm lazy. Extremely. Reviews make my lazy-induced microwave ding. I don't mind anonymous, complaints, you love it, anything.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yeah. Here I am. Again. This is the end. I think. Possibility of a sequel if enough people ask for it. And thanks to everyone who has reviewed and put this story on alert. You are my lovelies! Also, sorry for the reposting. Third time charm, right?**

**Again, thank you Emm-loo for being my beta. Read her stories!**

LLLLL

"Well. Erm, yeah. Hi?" Alex stated the greeting as a question.

"I never expected to see the great Alex Rider at the cinemas. In the town I go to school in of all places!" Sabina gave a dazzling smile.

"London's big. A lot of people live here. Are we going to go back in at any point?"

Sabina paused momentarily. "No."

Alex coughed. "Do you want to go out for some ice cream then?"

She scrunched up her eyebrows, confused. "Why ice cream? Why not, say, pizza?"

Alex smiled. "Well, being in the movies, even if only for a few minutes, makes me very full. Pizza would make me explode."

"Um, ice cream would do that too."

"Well Sab, I guess it's just because I want some ice cream." Alex smiled as he said it.

Sabina shrugged and gave a tiny smile. "I guess we need some ice cream then."

She looped her elbow around his and the pair began to walk. Once out of the theatre, Alex asked Sabina what she'd been up to the past four years.

"Well, I graduate in a couple months. I majored in child psychology. I want to be a teacher. What about you?"

Alex paused before saying, "I work from home. Home's an apartment complex."

Sabina laughed. "That was short, wasn't it?" She then proceeded to tell Alex about the lives of her friends, enemies, and teachers. Their lives were boring, but Alex listened contentedly. It was nice to be around Sabina again.

He listened to her happy chatter until they reached their destination. The Baskin Robbins on Edgware Road. Upon entrance, Alex inwardly groaned.

"Mrs. Gritowsky." He muttered.

"What was that Alex?" Sabina asked loudly. Alex could have slapped her.

"Nothing." He said. They walked to the counter, escaping Mrs. Gritowsky's notice. She seemed enthralled by a page in a magazine featuring knit socks.

A pimply teenager raised his eyebrows at the pair as if asking their order. Alex cleared his throat and opened his mouth only to be cut off by Sabina.

"Yes, can I have two scoops of vanilla with hot fudge and sprinkles?" Alex realized what she was doing.

Bored, the boy replied, "Sure." Facing Alex, he asked, "And for you?"

"Well, I'd like—"

"Alex Rider has a girlfriend?"

Oh dear. Mrs. Gritowsky.

Blushing, Sabina said, "No. We're just friends."

Mrs. Gritowsky ambled over to them. "If I had seen the two of you on the street, I would have thought you were a couple!" she exclaimed.

Alex was suspicious. Mrs. Gritowsky hadn't ever been this cheerful. Or pleasant.

Irritated, the worker addressed Alex. "Are you going to order?"

Alex sighed. "Can I have a scoop of Gold Metal Ribbon?" Sabina beamed.

"Coming right up." The pimple-face sarcastically replied. A few minutes later, the boy handed over the treats.

Sabina and Mrs. Gritowsky were in the middle of a ferocious debate whether or not the Holocaust should be taught in school. When Alex tapped Sabina on the shoulder, she took her ice cream angrily, looking at the spoons.

"No need. I'm closer." Mrs. Gritowsky reached out toward the spoon holder and produced two spoons, delicately putting one in Sabina's bowl and handing the other to Alex.

"I'm off, there's a book club meeting in a few minutes and I'm afraid I'll be late." With that, Mrs. Gritowsky walked out the door. Humming.

Alex's guard had been up ever since, "If I had seen you…"

"Who was that?" Sabina asked.

"The lady that lives below me. Mrs. Gritowsky." Alex replied.

"Oh well. Are you ready?" Sabina was excited. So was Alex, they hadn't done this since they…lost contact.

Sabina beamed. "Let's do it then. Ready?" Alex took a deep breath.

"Ready."

"Then let's do it."

They switched ice creams.

Sitting down at a table, they both took a bite from the switched treats.

"So what's Mrs. Gritowsky's story?" Alex snorted.

"The grouchiest lady I've ever met. Until today. Whenever I'd swear, she'd appear out of nowhere and start yelling at me. And then today, she's nice. It's very, erm, suspicious."

Alex looked at Sabina. And widened his eyes in horror.

Sabina had the blank look in her eyes that he had seen all too much. She wasn't moving. Alex checked for a pulse, blindly hoping that one would magically appear.

It didn't. Sabina was dead.

Alex Rider exited the Baskin Robbins. He did not begin walking. If he walked, then reality would never come. He would harbor a false hope for the rest of his life.

He wouldn't stand for that. So Alex Rider did not walk.

He ran.

He ran toward a certain bank on Liverpool Street.

Alex Rider had been wishing for the impossible for seven years. Now he was going to embrace the fact that this wish would never, ever come true.

Alex Rider was not normal.

LLLLL

**Well, there ya have it. The end. Review! Please... **


	6. Chapter 6

I said last chapter was the end. I lied. This, right here, is the second to last chapter. Next chapter, I'm going to give you the full details of how Sabina died.

And Emmy-loo, I'm soooo sorry. I had to get this up tonight or else I wouldn't be able to update until Monday. And that would kinda suck. But don't worry! I'll get you the next chapter!

And lolly, I'm sorry, but you can't do this for a book report.

Disclaimer: I own only what you don't recognize.

LLLLL

_Alex had been reading a _Biggles_ book when the phone rang. Strangely enough, he had not read this book on his last…escapade._

_Putting in the bookmark, Alex lifted himself off the couch to check the caller i.d. _Probably Tom_, he mused,_ the movies should have ended by now.

_But Alex was wrong. It wasn't Tom. And Alex wasn't going to pick up the phone._

Unknown name.

Unknown number.

_The answering machine came on. 'You've reached Alex Rider and Jack Starbright," there was a laugh, the faint murmur of 'I'm not doing this again. Quit making me laugh!" and Alex's voice continued to speak. _

'_We aren't exactly here right now. Well, we might just not want to talk to you, but either way, you're still going to have to leave a message after the beep.'_

Beep.

"_Relax Alex. It's Sabina." He let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding._

"_It's only been a week since I left, they wouldn't call you in, would they?" Alex snorted. Of course they would. They could do whatever they damn well pleased._

"_So, anyway, you can pick up now. Oh god, if you're not there I'm going to feel like a real idiot. _

"_So anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to catch up some more. Phoning might not be the best idea because of the time difference, but would e-mail be ok? I'll wait for you to call me back before I give you my e-mail address though. I thought we could keep in touch this time, yeah?"_

_Alex smiled. It sounded like an excellent idea._

"_Crap. I'm calling from JFK and my flights about to board. I'll give you my cell number, okay?"_

_Alex retrieved a pad and paper, even though he wouldn't need it but for a couple of days._

"_571-346-71—"_

_The line went dead. Alex stopped smiling._

LLLLL

Shortness, I know. And kinda crappy. Review! It's almost done.


	7. Chapter 7

Sigh. It's been fun. But here we are, at the end. Again. But this time, it's for reals. So I'll say good-bye. When the chapter's done. I promise. And I want to try to get 40 reviews for this story though, okay? So that means…2 more reviews. Not that hard. Thanks to everyone who stuck through this with me! Thanks to all the alerters, reviewers, and favorite authors. You guys rock my world.

**And who could forget the special thanks to my beta, Emmy-loo? She rocks.**

Disclaimer: I own only what you don't recognize. Damnit.

LLLLL

Mrs. Gritowsky, 54, with graying hair, was whistling a cheery tune as she walked down the street. In fact, Mrs. Gritowsky was none of the above.

In fact, Mrs. Gritowsky was a 22 year old man with brown hair who had no clue how to whistle. She was playing a cassette tape and pursing her lips.

More importantly, Mrs. Gritowsky had been trying to kill Alex Rider for two and a half years now. And, finally, she had succeeded.

A phone rang in her…erm, his sweater pocket. Answering in his real, gruff voice, he asked, annoyed, "What?"

A teasing voice came on. "Come on Kev. You know I'm asking you if he inadvertently thwarted your plans _again_. And don't act annoyed, I can hear that smile.

Still smiling, 'Kev' sighed. "I better have killed him. It was a fool proof plan. And how can you hear a smile?"

The teasing voice became serious. "You didn't blow him up, did you? Cuz he's gotten out of that 'little situation' before. And you can hear a smile when someone's pretending to be annoyed and failing miserably."

Kev's smile grew wider. "I put some sodium azide on his ice cream spoon. Before you ask, the ice cream spoon was white. And I was not failing miserably! I was doing an excellent job."

Sodium azide is colorless, odorless, white powder poison. It can cause immediate death if put in contact with moisture. Moisture included saliva. Especially _his_ saliva.

The voice on the other line laughed. "Why would the great Alex Rider be out getting _ice cream_? And that was the worst annoyed act you've ever pulled. Trust me, you've pulled some pretty bad ones. I'm still wondering how you keep your cover."

"I dunno. He had a girl with him. Maybe he knocked her up and she had a craving?" Kev snickered. "And you just happen to be speaking with the best field agent there is. Me, the master of disguise."

"Haha, very funny. I'll be scouting the papers for a recent death of a certain Alex Rider. Anyway, I've gotta go. Dinner. Time difference really screws things up. And do you realize who your talking to? You are talking to the master. I am the best. Why? I have a better memory than you. And I can make my smiles deaf to other people's ears. So HA! Talk to ya tomorrow."

Kev said his good-bye a little too late. The line had already gone dead.

Kev smiled wider and started humming the tune to "Tiptoe Through the Tulips." He'd had to listen to old music to stay in character.

Maybe, now that the Rider guy was finally finished, he'd get a break. Be himself for a week.

Kev was about to step over a crack in the sidewalk when a figure zoomed by. Taking on his old woman persona again, Kev called out, "Excuse me! Do you want to break my back?"

The figure turned around and stopped. "Mrs. Gritowsky?" the figure asked softly. Kev only stared.

"Alex Rider," he muttered viciously. Then he spat out every curse word he knew, which happened to be a lot. Quietly, of course.

Unknown to Kev, Alex had extraordinary hearing. He found this situation slightly ironic. Here was the woman who had yelled at him for saying crap in public, saying curse words even Alex didn't know! Then it made sense.

"Mrs. Gritowsky, what's your first name?" he asked cautiously.

"Delilah," Kev answered curtly. And silently cursed himself. When he had first introduced himself, Kev had said, "I'm Delia Gritowsky. You will call me Mrs. Gritowsky and absolutely nothing else." He just hoped that Alex wouldn't notice.

He did.

Kev slowly got up, his eyes never leaving Alex. Slowly, he took a gun out of the pocket the cell phone hadn't been in. Before the trigger was out, Alex bolted in the direction of Liverpool Street.

Kev knew that, in his attire, he wouldn't ever be able to catch up with Alex.

He had failed.

Worst of all, he had been beaten. Oh, yes, there was a difference between failing and being beaten. When you fail, you make a mistake. There is no competition, no one to win or lose. When you're beaten, you lose. There is someone to lose to, and you've lost. In the deadly world Kev lived in, failure was punished. But being beaten was punishable by death, and nothing else.

Sighing, he brought the gun to his head. He would rather kill himself than be killed by his superiors; the ones who had been obsessed with killing Alex Rider to get themselves back on the market. Scorpia.

Kev had one last fleeting thought before he died, one that made him pull the trigger smiling.

_That guy really isn't normal_.

LLLLL

**I promised. So, I guess this is goodbye. Don't ever forget what reviews do. Ding-nessheaven. Thanks, faithful readers, for stickin wit me til da end. So, goodbye.**


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